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Book Review: Dire Bound, by Sable Sorensen

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I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of Sable Sorensen‘s Dire Bound.

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Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them…

Meryn Cooper has never dreamed of being one of the Bonded, the King’s elite warriors who form mental links with massive, vicious direwolves. She’s made peace with her life scraping by in poverty in the shadows of the castle. But then her younger sister Saela is kidnapped, stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting.

And Meryn’s world falls apart.

Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army—only to discover that there are Bonding Trials this year, where all soldiers are forced to risk their lives in an attempt to connect with a direwolf. It’s too late to turn back; Meryn is thrown into the deadly competition against her will.

Now, she’ll need to survive the next four months of training at the castle if she wants a chance of finding Saela. Everything here is a test, from the brutal classes where one mistake means death, to the glittering court parties where every smile hides a knife.

To make things worse, Meryn is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her gorgeous instructor, Stark Therion, is as malicious as the wolves himself.

Everyone is out to get her—everyone but the dangerously handsome crown prince, Killian Valtiere. But if she loses her heart to him, she may also lose her life.

And the castle is hiding dark secrets…

my review

I enjoyed this. Meryn is the physical embodiment of ‘all things through spite,’ and I was 100% here for it and her. I also found the world interesting, the writing easy to read, and there’s some snarky humor. All in all, a good enough read that I’ve pre-ordered book two.

On the other hand, the pacing is inconsistent throughout, and I believe the book is longer than necessary. It’s also fairly predictable, except for a few moves made by Meryn that seem out of place to the reader (especially toward the end). Lastly, it has some questionable Fourth Wing vibes going on. But these complaints were outweighed by my enjoyment.

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Other Reviews:

Review:  Direbound: A Dark Romantasy (The Wolves of Ruin Book 1) by Sable Sorensen

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Book Review: Smoke and Scar, by Gretchen Powell Fox

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I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of Gretchen Powell Fox‘s Smoke and Scar. (Does it not have the most gorgeous cover?)

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Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire.

A Splintered Kingdom

An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.

A Haunted Warrior

Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.

A Vengeful Knight

Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.

An Unwinnable Challenge

With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.

This is the Arcane Crucible.

my review

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Admittedly, it took me a little while to really get into it. I was flat out uncertain about the beginning. But once all the characters came together, I was locked in. The story is of a fairly mundane quest sort. Think high fantasy with magical challenges and physical hardships, etc. But I enjoyed the banter between Elyria and Cedric. I liked that she’s the more powerful one and he the Damsel in Distress, so to speak (though I do wonder if the author will step back from that in future books, the setup is there). I liked the side characters, the world seems interesting, and the book is just easy to read. This despite heavy themes of forgiveness, accepting oneself, learning to let go of prejudice, and seeing value in diversity, changing your mind when presented with new information, corruption, and the cost of trauma (even on otherwise good people), etc. There is a lot going on under the surface of this story.

I did find some aspects of it a little predictable, and though Elyria does control shadows, I wouldn’t say she carries the dark “shadow daddy” vibes some of the book’s PR led me to expect. There also isn’t any sex. I mentioned it in case that’s something that matters to you. I did not miss it.

All in all, I’ll be looking forward to the next one.

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Other Reviews:

Vellichor Vibes: Smoke and Scar, by Gretchen Powell Fox

 

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Book Review: The Wren in the Holly Library, by K.A. Linde

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I purchased a copy of K.A.Linde‘s The Wren in the Holly Library. the wren in the holly library

Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.

In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.

But tonight, Kierse―a gifted and fearless thief―will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.

He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.

Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.

But he’s been playing a game across centuries―and once she joins in, there will be no escape…

my review

I have really mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I felt that it was so formulaic that nothing stood out and grabbed my attention, particularly the romance aspect. So, I was honestly bored for a lot of it. However, I acknowledge that Linde did break from the mold by writing a comfortably diverse cast and avoiding some of the common PNR pitfalls that I hate, such as women who have to give up their power to be worth of love or give up something they’ve worked hard for to stay with a man who doesn’t sacrifice even a sliver as much. I’d be willing to read the sequel on the strength of this alone. But I’m in no hurry about it since the story itself didn’t captivate me.the wren in the holly library photo

Serena’s Review: “The Wren in the Holly Library”